My Hunger to Help the Human Family Began 50 Years Ago

The 41st International Eucharistic Congress, held in Philadelphia in 1976, brought together various religious leaders to discuss the theme "The Hungers of the Human Family." The event coincided with the Bicentennial of the nation and drew tens of thousands of visitors.

Notable attendees included Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Dorothy Day, Archbishop Hélder Câmara, Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., and Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, who later became Pope John Paul II. During the congress, Father Arrupe, then the superior general of the Jesuits, stated that the celebration of the Eucharist is incomplete as long as hunger exists in the world.

The congress organized daily sessions focused on specific types of hunger, including hunger for God, bread, freedom, justice, the spirit, truth, and understanding. All the listed guests have since had their causes for canonization advanced.